Suction cleaner



Nov. 4, 1941. 1.. M. JONES 8 SUCTION CLEANER Filed July 12, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheetl INVENTOR Leslie M Jones ATTORNEY Noi 4, 1941. L, M, JONES 2,261,768

SUCTION CLEANER Filed July 12, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a l? Er/19,...

NVENTOR I lesll'e Jane's ORNEY Patented Nov. 4, 1941*! SUGTION CLEANER Leslie M. Jones, North anton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company,

corporation of Ohio North Canton, Ohio, a

Application July 12, 1939, Serial No. 283,935

2 Claims. (01. 15-182) The present invention relates tosuction cleaners in general and particularly to new and novel improvements in rotary agitators for suction More specifically the invention comagitator which includes cleaners. prises a suction cleaner a flexible agitating element havinga supporting base formedof deformable material.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved suction cleaner. It is another' object of the invention to provide a new andimproved agitator for a suction cleaner. Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved agitating element for a suction cleaner agitator. A further object of the invention is to provide an adjustable agitating element radial extension. The present invention is an for a suction cleaner agitator which is deformable to permit of adaptation to the retaining means of the agitator. Still another object of the invention is to provide a removable brush element for a suction cleaner agitator which embodies flexible bristles and a deformable rubberback. These and other more specific objects will appear upon reading the following specification and claims and upon considering in connection therewith the attached drawings to which they relate.

Referring now' to the drawings in preferred embodiment of the invention is illuswhich a trated, and in which the same reference character refers to the same part throughout:

Figu e 1 illustratesa cleaner embodying the present invention with certain parts of the cleaner broken away and shown in section;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of a rotary agitator embodying the invention;

side elevation of a suction Figure 3 is a section through the agitator upon I the line 3-3 of Figure 2 and illustrates the removable brush element or inner radial position;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but with the element positioned in its worn brush or outer radial position; I

Figure 5 is a longitudinal section through the agitator taken along the brush seat;

Figure 6 is a view in perspective of the brush element and seat removed from the agitator body;

Figure '7 is a view in perspective of the removable agitating element itself and illustrates the deformation which takes place in that element when positioned in the agitator by the dotted line showing. Y

The modern agitator for a suction cleaner embodies rigid beating elements and,flexible-brushing elements, the-latter being subject to wear in positioned in its new brush use. when such wear occurs the flexible element 55 improvement in the latter type. With the incorporation of helically extending brush elements the adjustment of the element becomes a more difficult problem and the present invention has solved that problem in a simple and easy manner.

Referring again to the drawings and to Figure 1 in particular, a modern suction, cleaner is illustrated which is seen to comprises. nozzle I which is interiorly-connected through an air passageway 2 to a. fan chamber 3 which houses a suctioncreating fan 4 carried by the depending endof the motor shaft 5. The latter is formed as a driving ulley S at its lower end and, through the interpositioning :of a power-transmitting belt I rotates an agitator; indicated generally by the reference character 8, positioned within the nozzle I. Fan chamber 3 is provided with an exhaust outlet 9 which is formed with bag-attaching means III which are manually operable and which are illustrated as securing in place a dirt-filtering bag ll. Above the fan chamber 3 is positioned a motor casing "which houses'ian unshown driving motor the shaft 5 of which is seen to extend downwardly through the fan chamber 3. The entire cleaner body is movably supported upon wheels I: and, in the usual manner, a pivoted handle I4 is provided by which the operator can exert the necessary propelling and guiding forces. In its general outline the cleaner is well known in the art.

Referring now to Figures 2 to '7, inclusive, the rotary agitator and the removable brush element comprising the present invention are illustrated in detail. The agitator 8 is seen to comprise a cylindrical, hollow body 15, the ends of which are closed by an end plate l6. which is centrally counterbored to seat a ball bearing H which is rotatably supported by the shaft l8 extending completely through the agitator and fromthe ends thereof. A thread guard I9 is carried at each end of the shaft l8 adjacent the bearing and end plates l1 andi6, respectively, and provides means which effectively prevents the accumulation of foreign material at the bearing. The

v body I5 is formed substantially at its center with while its opposite'end remains open. Its central portion in any section is substantially rectangular and inwardly extending shoulders 29 are formed upon the opposite sides thereof and extend the length of the seat.

Within the brush seat 25 is positioned a brush element 30 which is seen to comprise an extended row of flexible brush bristles which are mounted and secured within a back 3| of substantially the size of the interior dimensions of the brush seat 25. The back 3| is formed along each of its sides with two parallel grooves 32 at different heights thereon. As is clearly illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 these grooves are adapted to enclose the inwardly extended shoulders 29 formed in the brush seat and the brush is adapted to be positioned in an inner. radial or lower position, as illustrated in Figure 3, when the shoulders seat within the upper pair of grooves. The brush is also adapted to be positioned in an outer radial or upper position when the shoulders seat within the lower pair of grooves, as illustrated in Figure 4. The brush element 30 is characterized in that the back 3| thereof is formed of a pliant,

flexible and deformable material such as a rubber of medium hardness. The brush element, including its back, is made straight, the back being either molded or extruded. Because it is normally straight, the back is more easily and economically made and because it is flexible and deformable it can conform to the shape of the helically extending brush seat as well as an element which is initially made into a helical shape.

Initial cost of manufacture is reduced and likewise handling costs and packing costs are minimized because of the shape.

. The agitator constructed in accordance with the invention is completed by the provision upon theexterior surface thereof, in the confinon and well known manner, of a rigid, helically'extending beater element 35 which cooperates with the flexible brush 30 in the agitation of the surface covering undergoing cleaning.

1. In a rotary agitator for a suction cleaner, a cylindrical body, a unitary helically extending brush seat removably retained on said body and formed with an open end, shoulders in said seat upon the opposite sides thereof, a brush including a back formed with a plurality of shoulder-receiving grooves upon the opposite sides thereof and at different heights thereon positioned in said seat, said .back being of rubber, normally straight, and deformed helically by said seat, said brush being displaceable from the end of saidseat.

2. In a rotary agitator for a suction cleaner, a cylindrical body, an helically extending brush seat positioned in said body and formed with inwardly extending abutment elements upon the opposite sides thereof, and a brush including a back formed with a plurality of spaced shoulderreceiving rooves upon the opposite sides thereof and at different heights thereon adapted to be selectively positioned in various radial positions in said seat with said abutments positioned in pairs of said grooves, said back being made of a deformable material such as rubber which is normally straight but sufliciently resilient to be deformed to conform to the curvature of said seat in the various adjusted positions.

LESLIE M. JONES. 

